Efficient video conferencing is vital to both employee collaboration as well as client acquisition and retention. But despite its evident importance, many companies still settle for systems doomed to failure from the start. Over the years, we've seen a few common issues show up in a lot of the retrofit projects we fix.

We have learned from that experience, and it has helped us ensure all our projects avoid these common pitfalls from the start. Usually, most problems come down to using the wrong equipment, faulty installations, and subpar software and programming. As you read this blog, you may come across some issues you’ve experienced at your own Minneapolis, MN office.

You know that surround sound makes movies a more immersive experience. Whether you’re at the theater or at home, surround sound is part of what makes you feel like you are part of the action, just as much as the great visuals. 

Some people, unsurprisingly, only turn on their surround audio system for movie watching.  They may use TV audio for shows other than movies. If the surround system is in a family room that is used for something other than movies (unlike a more dedicated theater or media room), this is not uncommon.

If you have a surround system, we think you should always use it. One good reason is that a large amount of content is delivered in surround formats.

If you listen on the TV speaker only, or a stereo soundbar, you’re missing out on some ambient parts of the soundtrack. For example, all over-the-air broadcast TV is delivered in Dolby Digital format. The quality of the surround mix may vary by the show - just as it does in movies - but Dolby Digital will always sound better than regular stereo when played through the right equipment.

Admittedly, in this age of streaming video, cable, and satellite, over-the-air reception is less used. So, what else can take advantage of your investment in surround sound in Eden Prairie? Read on to find out.

Displays are the focal point of your conference room, drawing attention to essential video calls, presentations, or training material. Naturally, it’s the first piece of equipment many companies bring up during our AV installations. And it's one of the places where it's really easy to go wrong. Below, we highlight one of the most significant decisions you'll have to make in your Minneapolis, MN office: Should you go with a flat screen display or with a projector?

You know you can go to your local Best Buy (a home-grown Minnesota favorite) or Home Depot and find all sorts of smart devices for your home. Smart light bulbs, thermostats, locks, irrigation controllers, and much more are easily found up and down the aisles. So why not put them together your own smart home?

Of course, you can take this approach. But prepare to think like a home technology integrator like Lelch Audio-Video. We like to explain it this way: If you are reasonably handy, there’s a lot you can do with the right tools and materials from Home Depot to fix or upgrade your home. On the other hand, you may not want to take on a complete remodel of your home.

When it comes to something like smart lighting, you may want to add some intelligent light somewhere, like an outside light that you can program to come on at sunset. Or maybe you can put in a few smart bulbs that you can dim and control with your smartphone or with Alexa on your Echo smart speaker.

But doing lighting right is both art and science. The art is in achieving the right aesthetic effect, and the science is in having the right amount of lighting and easy and consistent control of your home’s illumination. To that end, we’d like to point out a few common mistakes we often see when lighting projects are not fully baked. The good news: Lelch Audio-Video is a certified Lutron smart lighting installer, and we can help you avoid these mistakes in your Woodbury home.

If you’re buying a TV for your Edina, MN, home in the next few years, chances are the sources will involve an updated HDMI element, called HDMI 2.1. Last year’s CES teased a more robust way to connect all our entertainment, and we can’t wait to see how this home video distribution update transforms the A/V industry and enables 8K, and even 10K, devices.

Keep reading to learn more about the higher-definition HDMI, how we install it and some of its significant benefits.

When you consider updating your Minneapolis, MN, home’s network, you likely think of standard networking needs like internet services providers, matrix switches and routers. But at Lelch Audio Video, we like to think beyond general connectivity and traditional controls to find clients truly integrated network installation services that power all your components, from A/V to security, seamlessly.

What if we told you that you could streamline installations and get better quality by using your Ethernet cables to run your system? Or send lightning-fast information packets to instantly transmit audio and video signals?

We focus on finding the most robust networking engine to power all of your home’s A/V components, combining speed, user-friendliness and flexibility: We believe that Power over Ethernet and Video over IP systems will exceed expectations in all three categories. Keep reading to explore these exciting features and see what they mean for integrated homes like yours.

Summer has come to Minnesota, making this the time to gather your friends and family for backyard dinners and other fun outdoor activities. While watching TV or listening to music outside is very enjoyable and relaxing, doing so late at night can be hazardous without proper lighting.

Which brings us to landscape lighting. Not only does proper lighting in your yard reduce the chance of stumbling into things in the dark, it can transform your landscape into a colorful extension of your home’s aesthetic. Using different types of fixtures placed throughout your yard, you can create striking lighting designs and highlight architectural or landscape features. If you want the best-looking, safest yard possible, keep reading to see our landscape lighting tips for Edina, MN, residents.

No one wants a cookie-cutter house; different families have different needs and preferences, and what works in one home may not be the right choice for another home. The same is true of home automation systems: You may be looking for someone to install a custom home theater or whole-home audio system, while your neighbors may be more interested in outdoor audio or lighting control.

Furthermore, different homes pose different challenges in terms of installation, wiring and integration. A one-size-fits-all approach to designing a smart home is not going to give you an optimal result. By personalizing your smart home, though, you can create a system that’s better suited to your needs and preferences, and it will likely work better, too.

That’s why we want to talk to you about all the ways you can personalize your Minneapolis, MN, smart home. Want to know more? Keep reading.